MP government orders officials to check on fraudulent enrolments at state-supported madrasas

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government has directed officials to verify the credentials of students enrolled in madrasas that receive government grants and ensure that they are not given religious education without the consent of parents or guardians, an official said on Saturday.

The state government on Friday issued an order on the recommendation of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) that cited that some madrasas had fabricated names of students.

The order stated that it was brought to the notice of the NCPCR, New Delhi and newspapers that the names of many non-Muslim children were fraudulently registered at madrasas to obtain government grants.

Commissioner (Lok Shikshan or Public Instructions) Shilpa Gupta issued the order directing officials to physically verify at madrasas recognised by the Madhya Pradesh Madrasa Board to ensure that the names of children (Muslim or non-Muslim) were not registered fraudulently to obtain government grants.

As per the order, if children's names were fraudulently registered in madrasas, their grants would be stopped, recognition would be cancelled, and legal action would be taken under appropriate penal provisions.

It cited Article 28 (3) of the Constitution, which states, "No person attending any educational institution recognised by the state or receiving aid out of state funds shall be required to take part in any religious instruction that may be imparted in such institution or to attend any religious worship that may be conducted in such institution or in any premises attached thereto unless such person or, if such person is a minor, his guardian has given his consent thereto."

In view of this provision, if children studying in state-recognised madrasas, or those receiving aid from state funds, are being imparted religious education contrary to the teachings of their religion or are being compelled to take religious education or attend any worship without their consent (if they are minors, their guardians), action should be taken to cancel the recognition of such madrasas by stopping all grants and other appropriate legal action should be ensured, the order stated.

The directives were issued to the director, public instructions, and secretary of the MP Madrasa Board, an official of the state public relations department confirmed.